Questions & Answers
Category:Culture
The majority of those who declare a religion are Christian, although Korean statistics present the numbers differently. They do not consider Roman Catholics to be Christians, which keeps the numbers of (Protestant) Christians at less than 50%. Buddhism is the choice of the next largest group. It was the majority a little less than a decade ago. There are also believers in Islam among Koreans. A small percentage still belive in Shamanism.
That said, East Asians including Koreans generally do not hold with the Western idea of exclusivity of religious denominations. One can frequently observe Christian weddings preceded by Confucianist Peh-paek ceremonies the day before, and funerals are often a mix of Buddhist and traditional elements. Koreans and most westerners generally do not consider Confucianism a religion, since it is non-theist, yet it is pervasive to the point that an understanding of Confucianism is essential to understand Korea. This is worthy of a fuller article, but in brief Confucianism outlines societal ethics, how to structure communities in a way that maintains harmony. There are hierarchical relationships - for example, older sibling to younger sibling, or ruler to subject - but these are grounded in reciprocal responsibility and respect.
K4E Editor: Korea4Expats.com tries to ensure that the information we provide is accurate and complete, so should you notice any errors or omissions in the content above please contact us at info@korea4expats.com.
- My students keep asking me if I've had lunch or breakfast. Are they inviting me to eat with them?
- I've received some gifts I can't use for Chuseok. What should I do?
- Why is there no 4th Floor button in many elevators?
- Why are we not supposed to write people's names in red ink?
- What does 'Arirang' mean?
- What is the main religion in Korea?
- Is Korean 'shamanism' similar to that of North American Indians?
- What is Chuseok?
- What is the rule of thumb about gift-giving for Chuseok?
- What kind of gift is appropriate at Chuseok?
- I've been told that I'm expected to give one month's salary each to my Korean driver and maid for Chuseok and Lunar New Year? Is that correct?
- Why is November 11th called Pepero Day in Korea?
- Is fortune telling popular in Korea?
- I've been asked, in a social conversation, what my blood type is. Why is that?
- I've seen Korea written as Corea in some documents. Which is the correct spelling?
- What is a cultural property? And what is the difference between a tangible and intagible cultural property?
- Why do some Koreans hang fish in homes, stores, etc? Is it related ot the wooden fish hanging in temples?
- I've read about people feeling insulted if a Korean uses 'nopinmal' with Koreans but 'banmal' with them. What's the difference between the two?
- I've heard that the 14th day of the month is a special 'love' day. What does that mean?
- Do Koreans celebrate Valentine's Day?
- Why do Korean talk about Korean age and Western age?
- Why does South Korea have such a high Christian population for a country that was not colonized by Western powers?
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- Where can I get weather information?
- Is it true that everyone should have a business card in Korea? I'm not working, do I need to have one also?
- What is the difference between a 'gu' and a 'dong'?
- What is a yogwan?
- What is the difference between a 'hogwan' and a 'yogwan'?
- I hear people chanting Dae Han Min Guk a lot. What does it mean?
- Is it true that tattoos are illegal in Korea?
- We hear a lot about how much Koreans spend on education. How much is spent on public education in Korea?
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